Skip Navigation



Journal of Heredity Advance Access published online on February 24, 2005
Journal of Heredity, doi:10.1093/jhered/esi035
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
96/3/279    most recent
esi035v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lambert, D. M.
Right arrow Articles by Millar, C. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lambert, D. M.
Right arrow Articles by Millar, C. D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The American Genetic Association. 2005. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email journals.permissions@oupjournals.org.

Article

Is a Large-Scale DNA-Based Inventory of Ancient Life Possible?

D. M. Lambert 1*, A. Baker 2, L. Huynen 1, O. Haddrath 2, P. D. N. Hebert 3, and C. D. Millar 4

1 From the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Molecular BioSciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland, New Zealand
2 From the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto ON, Canada M5S 2C6 and Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada M5S 1A1
3 From the Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
4 From the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
D. M. Lambert, E-mail: d.m.lambert{at}massey.ac.nz


  Abstract

A complete DNA-based inventory of the Earth's present biota using large-scale high-throughput DNA sequencing of signature region(s) (DNA barcoding) is an ambitious proposal rivaling the Human Genome Project. We examine whether this approach will also enable us to assess the past diversity of the earth's biota. To test this, we sequenced the 5' terminus of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene of individuals belonging to a group of extinct ratite birds, the moa of New Zealand. Moa comprised a large number of taxa that radiated in isolation on this oceanic landmass. Using a phylogenetic approach based on a large data set including protein coding and 12S DNA sequences as well as morphology, we now have precise information about the number of moa species that once existed. We show that each of the moa species detected using this extensive data set has a unique COI barcode(s) and that they all show low levels of within-species COI variation. Consequently, we conclude that COI sequences accurately identify the species discovered using the larger data set. Hence, more generally, this study suggests that DNA barcoding might also help us detect other extinct animal species and that a large-scale inventory of ancient life is possible.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Proc R Soc BHome page
N. J. Rawlence, J. R. Wood, K. N. Armstrong, and A. Cooper
DNA content and distribution in ancient feathers and potential to reconstruct the plumage of extinct avian taxa
Proc R Soc B, October 7, 2009; 276(1672): 3395 - 3402.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 The HoloceneHome page
K. D. Bennett and L. Parducci
DNA from pollen: principles and potential
The Holocene, December 1, 2006; 16(8): 1031 - 1034.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Phil Trans R Soc BHome page
V. Savolainen, R. S Cowan, A. P Vogler, G. K Roderick, and R. Lane
Towards writing the encyclopaedia of life: an introduction to DNA barcoding
Phil Trans R Soc B, October 29, 2005; 360(1462): 1805 - 1811.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Phil Trans R Soc BHome page
M. A. Smith, B. L Fisher, and P. D.N Hebert
DNA barcoding for effective biodiversity assessment of a hyperdiverse arthropod group: the ants of Madagascar
Phil Trans R Soc B, October 29, 2005; 360(1462): 1825 - 1834.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
A. J. Baker, L. J. Huynen, O. Haddrath, C. D. Millar, and D. M. Lambert
Reconstructing the tempo and mode of evolution in an extinct clade of birds with ancient DNA: The giant moas of New Zealand
PNAS, June 7, 2005; 102(23): 8257 - 8262.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.